Edmonton Milkman on Final Run

[Darren Dirt]

http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/Last+Edmonton+milkman+final/6231256/story.html
^ who else can relate to childhood memories of opening the front door in the morning and seeing fresh milk waiting for you? 



When I saw the headline, for some reason this little short came to mind...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1183485/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieW8FaypLqM

[Thorin]

Hah, a local story about an Edmontonian, reported in the Calgary Herald

There are days when I wish there was milk delivery because someone finished the milk the night before and everyone wants cereal (it is not the same with Coke Zero on it).  But then I remember that they charge two or three bucks extra per jug, and I think gee, that's twenty bucks or more a month that I don't have to pay if I just go to the store before we're all out.

[Darren Dirt]

The 3-bucks-per-jug surcharge is definitely a sign of modern times and economics.

Back in The Old Days, it was milk in bags that you put in that weird container (can still find those at the dollar store, actually) and I'm pretty sure it wasn't that much more $ than what you'd pay at Safeway or IGA (which I think were pretty much the only places you'd buy milk, there were way few convenience stores IIRC, and since I was in St. Albert there weren't any very close to our house anyway). I remember my mom getting mad if me or my brother cut the corner of the plastic bag incorrectly, either too big of a cut (splashy splashy!) or if the scissors didn't cut a nice consistent clean line (the milk would kinda split into 2 streams when you poured). #goodtimes

[Mr. Analog]

I had no idea it was in such a dire state, but that's car culture for you. Why have something delivered when you can just drive to the corner store to get it...

Darren is right about the pricing, for a while in Sherwood Park it was the cheaper alternative AND you always had dairy when you needed it (which, growing up, was always). I can see how prices would have gone up as the number of subscribers went down though I didn't realize Edmonton was down to a man...

Remember on really cold mornings? Frozen milk chunks on your Shreddies!

[Thorin]

Our "corner store" buys their milk from Walmart and then re-sells it to us for about a buck fifty more.  The corner store is 600 meters (0.2 liters of gas), and the milk is about $1.50 more than Walmart.  Sobey's is 900 meters (0.3 liters of gas) and the milk is about $0.75 more than Walmart.  Walmart is 2,600 meters (0.8 liters).  Even walking, the cost of gas to go to Walmart and back (0.8 liters) is less than the markup on the milk, plus when we're at Walmart we buy other groceries for cheaper than we could at Sobey's or the corner store (aka the Ice Cream Slushie store).

We had milk delivery for a while on the north end of Edmonton, and it was always a higher price than at the grocery store.  I want to say it was nice to always have milk for cereal in the morning, but delivery was only twice a week so there were still times where we would be out of milk and it didn't get delivered until the following day.

I re-read the article twice, but I see no mention of people driving to get their milk...  The milkman drove, but there's no mention to how people get their milk now.  Who knows, maybe all those customers are walking to the local grocery store now.

[Darren Dirt]

Times sure have changed since the mid-80s.

[Lazybones]

With the generally wide availability of the big box stores, and the extreme convenience of local stores I see no reason for this service.

I see several times that you commented on it being nice to have milk for your cereal but having lived out side of town growing up and basicly lived off of mike as a growing kid the solution was always just BY MORE MILK and shop frequently enough to get more..

Can't really drink milk any more and my kids are all intolerant so not an issue for my family, no one delivers almond milk, but fortunately it has a great shelf life so you can stock pile it.

[Mr. Analog]

Times sure have changed since the mid-80s.

That's for sure...

maybe all those customers are walking to the local grocery store now.

I highly doubt it, most grocery / convenience stores are spread pretty far apart in Edmonton at least and they usually aren't all that pedestrian friendly places.

[Tom]

Times sure have changed since the mid-80s.

That's for sure...

Damn kids won't stay of my lawn

[Mr. Analog]

Times sure have changed since the mid-80s.

That's for sure...

Damn kids won't stay of my lawn

IN MY DAY colours were brighter, neon and usually accompanied with electronic bleeps and bloops

[Tom]

Times sure have changed since the mid-80s.

That's for sure...

Damn kids won't stay of my lawn

IN MY DAY colours were brighter, neon and usually accompanied with electronic bleeps and bloops

What? You don't like brown?

[Mr. Analog]

Times sure have changed since the mid-80s.

That's for sure...

Damn kids won't stay of my lawn

IN MY DAY colours were brighter, neon and usually accompanied with electronic bleeps and bloops

What? You don't like brown?

I am quite well stocked in the colour of cowards.

I SELL SHOES!!

[Tom]

Times sure have changed since the mid-80s.

That's for sure...

Damn kids won't stay of my lawn

IN MY DAY colours were brighter, neon and usually accompanied with electronic bleeps and bloops

What? You don't like brown?

I am quite well stocked in the colour of cowards.

I SELL SHOES!!

But brown means its real

[Thorin]

I see several times that you commented on it being nice to have milk for your cereal but having lived out side of town growing up and basicly lived off of mike as a growing kid the solution was always just BY MORE MILK and shop frequently enough to get more..

Yeah, see, no one in my family thinks to point out when the milk is, say, down to one quarter of the jug.  They just all complain Monday morning when they go to eat their cereal before school and the jug is sitting in the fridge completely empty.  That's where an every-day delivery service would be nice, because running to the store for milk when I am supposed to be going to work just ain't good.

That said, I completely agree that milk is easily available at any store and all you have to do is run out and get it.

[Mr. Analog]

Times sure have changed since the mid-80s.

That's for sure...

Damn kids won't stay of my lawn

IN MY DAY colours were brighter, neon and usually accompanied with electronic bleeps and bloops

What? You don't like brown?

I am quite well stocked in the colour of cowards.

I SELL SHOES!!

But brown means its real

It's how you can tell if you're playing Quake (or any number of Brown FPSs lol)

I see several times that you commented on it being nice to have milk for your cereal but having lived out side of town growing up and basicly lived off of mike as a growing kid the solution was always just BY MORE MILK and shop frequently enough to get more..

Yeah, see, no one in my family thinks to point out when the milk is, say, down to one quarter of the jug.  They just all complain Monday morning when they go to eat their cereal before school and the jug is sitting in the fridge completely empty.  That's where an every-day delivery service would be nice, because running to the store for milk when I am supposed to be going to work just ain't good.

That said, I completely agree that milk is easily available at any store and all you have to do is run out and get it.

Well that's a whole other problem heh, I think it's built in to most humans, I get down to half a glass of OJ and then don't drink it anymore, then I forget and grab the box with just a splash left in and decide not to have a glass because if I finish it I'll have to get more LOL

What's wrong with me LOL